1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mast base structure for a sailboard including a connecting member located below a mast base lower section supporting a universal joint, said connecting member forming the connection between the mast and sailboard, which connecting member is movable in a pinned down condition in the longitudinal direction of the sailboard to at least two locations and securable at those locations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A mast base structure of the kind referred to is basically disclosed in the DE-AS No. 24 49 636. The object of this known mast base structure is to avoid the drawback of other further known sailboards of which the universal joint located at the mast base is connected via plug-in joints to the sailing masts, that the point of attack of the driving force transmitted by the sailing mast cannot be adjusted during the sailing. This drawback is specifically observed when using the windsurfing boards in races because when sailing varying courses a completely different trim in relation to the direction of the wind may be advantageous.
In the mentioned known mast base structure a shifting or adjusting, of the connecting member and accordingly of the sailing mast proceeds in that the sailing mast is lifted up, moved to a different location and locked or arrested, thereat. To this end it has been suggested to provide in the known mast base structure a keyway traveler which is mounted to the sailboard, in which keyway traveler a lateral axis of the mast base structure is held in a pinned down condition and shiftable by means of a bracket located above the axis and extending parallel to the traveler. In accordance with a modified known embodiment of the discussed prior art, the shifting or dislocating of the connecting member of the sailing mast is carried out by means of a double lever mechanism which is hingedly joined to the sailboard.
Apart from the correct basic thought regarding the advantages of the possibility of adjusting or shifting of the mast base structure, the range of adjustment of this known mast base structure is on the one hand relatively small and on the other hand it does not guarantee an unintended lifting and shifting of the mast base structure.